Nigeria’s influence on global music has increasingly found expression at the FIFA World Cup, which is unarguably football’s biggest stage. TOFARATI IGE takes a look at Nigerian entertainers who have performed at the international football fiesta
Femi Kuti
One of the earliest Nigerian musicians to perform at a FIFA World Cup event was Femi Kuti. The afrobeat star was among the artistes selected to perform at the opening ceremony of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. The ceremony, held at Soccer City in Johannesburg, featured a strong African cultural theme and included performances by several renowned African musicians.
His participation was particularly symbolic, as the 2010 tournament was the first FIFA World Cup hosted on African soil. His performance was well received, and he was applauded for showcasing the continent’s rich cultural heritage through music.
2Baba
Another Nigerian icon who graced the World Cup stage was Innocent Idibia, popularly known as 2Baba. The singer performed during the closing ceremony of the 2010 FIFA World Cup final in Johannesburg. FIFA included him among a select group of African artistes chosen to celebrate the successful conclusion of the historic tournament.
His appearance further underscored Nigeria’s prominence in African entertainment.
Burna Boy
Grammy Award winner, Damini Ogulu, aka Burna Boy, reached a new milestone when FIFA selected him to feature on ‘Dai Dai’, the official song of the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside Colombian singer, Shakira. Both singers performed the song to a tumultuous reception at the tournament’s opening ceremony in Mexico City on Thursday, June 11, 2026.
The achievement places Burna Boy among the few Nigerian artistes to contribute directly to an official FIFA World Cup anthem.
Popular music platform, Billboard, also reported that its readers chose ‘Dai Dai’ as the “best World Cup song of all time” in a poll.
The report read in part, “In a poll published by Billboard on June 1, we asked our readers to vote for the best soccer anthem. The list included the 10 official songs released by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) since 1990 to today, from the first official song, “Un’estate italiana (To Be Number One),” performed by Edoardo Bennato and Gianna Nannini for the 1990 games in Italy to the most recent “Dai Dai” for the 2026 match.
“The latter (Dai Dai) ultimately won the poll with more than 31 per cent of the vote. Shakira’s own “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),” which she recorded with Freshlyground for the 2010 World Cup, came in a very close second with more than 26 per cent of the vote.”
Rema
Afrobeats sensation, Divine Ikubor, popularly known as Rema, performed at the United States opening ceremony segment of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday, June 12. He joined other global superstars such as Katty Perry and South Africa’s Tyla.
Prior to the start of the competition, FIFA had unveiled a World Cup-themed song featuring Rema, alongside BLACKPINK’s Lisa and Brazilian singer, Anitta.
His inclusion reflects the growing global appeal of Nigerian music and afrobeats.
Davido
Pop star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, attracted global attention not only for his performance but also for the striking outfit he wore at the World Cup Countdown Concert held at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, United States.
The outfit bore the names of pupils and teachers recently abducted in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
Turning his highly anticipated pre-tournament performance into an advocacy showcase, Davido spotlighted the security crisis in Nigeria, demanding immediate government action for the victims who remain in captivity.
The customised buttons on his outfit bore the individual names of the students and teachers recently kidnapped by armed bandits. To distinguish the tragic reality, the names of those still held captive were written in white lettering on the green buttons, while the names of the victims who had lost their lives during the ordeal were written in red.
The singer also wore a white t-shirt with “NIGERIA,” boldly written on it, while “BRING THEM HOME”,’ was boldly printed at the back of the black leather jacket.
In an address moments before he climbed the stage for his performance, Davido expressed grief over the nature of rescue operations and urged the federal and state governments to hasten their intervention.
The singer said, “Peace and love everywhere. May God be with the families of the abducted and the ones who have been killed.
“They still haven’t been rescued, we’re praying to God every day. We’re also praying to God that the government hastens, and you know… My country is going through a lot. We represent everywhere we go.”
Ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Davido also featured in the official soundtrack of the tournament titled, ‘Hayya Hayya (Better Together)’, alongside Trinidad Cardona and Aisha.
The track became one of the most recognisable songs associated with the competition and represented a significant milestone for Nigerian music.
Following the success of the song, Davido performed during the closing ceremony of the World Cup final at Lusail Stadium. The performance came only months after the tragic loss of his first son, Ifeanyi, and was widely viewed as an emotional and triumphant return to the global stage.
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